Twofold
by Sunset Yesterday
Summary: Epona never liked it when Link left, but she managed.


Epona whinnied happily as Link fed her a carrot, the two having stopped off in a nearby city to stock up on supplies. Link smiled at the playful way Epona was flicking her tail.

"Hey girl, I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay safe alright?" Link pat her shoulder one last time before leaving the chestnut mare tied to an oak tree just outside the city walls. Epona whined softly as her green-clad rider disappeared into the city. She let out a breath, and examined her surroundings as she would do in her spare time.

The forest scenery wasn't anything new to Epona, having grown up in a wooded area. Come to think of it, not many types of scenery would be new to Epona, seeing as she'd been all over Hyrule and beyond when accompanying Link on his various journeys. Epona reckoned not many mares her age, heck, not many mares period, would be able to say they'd trekked across rocky tundra, thick forests, steep mountain trails, acres upon acres of shoulder high grass, and even oasis dotted deserts.

Epona nearly snorted right then and there at the thought. She certainly was a lucky equine to have as fair and kind a rider as Link. Being lost in thought as much as she had been, Epona failed to give regards to the three thieves lurking in the canopy-shaded woods just behind her. The trio saw the horse's absentminded state as a perfect opportunity to claim the great hero Link's prized mare for themselves.

They advanced quickly, surrounding the chestnut coated horse on all sides and scrabbling for her reins while simultaneously trying to dodge the furious mare's violent kicking. Epona let out several alarmed neighs in an attempt to alert nearby townspeople of the threat. One of the three bandits was unlucky enough to get nailed dead in the chest by one of Epona's hooves, letting out a strangled grunt and falling to the ground.

Paying their injured comrade no mind, the remaining two men struggled with the ties that held her to the oak, grumbling all the while. Epona wasted no time in yanking herself free the moment her ties were loosened enough, and took off frantically through the city gates. The men behind her swore angrily, picking up their companion and hauling him along as they escaped quickly back the way they came from.

Epona raced in frenzy through crowds of frightened people, subconsciously careful of treading on the hysterical townsfolk. She made her way past many different booths of all colors before she spotted Link's trademark green standing out in the crowd of monotone browns and blues. He looked to be bargaining with one of the merchants for some sort of contraption Epona naturally knew nothing about.

Epona's adrenaline-rush died down as she skidded to a hasty stop next to her rider, effectively frightening the tradesman out of his wits in the process. She neighed happily. Link turned, alarmed, before a look of confusion crossed his features.

"Epona? What in the Goddess' name are you doing in here?" Link studied her curiously, noting her hooves as they pawed as the ground uneasily. Her tail swished back and forth of its own accord.

"Something must have happened…" Link murmured to himself, tossing a few red rupees onto the counter for the merchant, seeing as he couldn't bargain correctly with his steed in such disarray. Link stroked Epona's cream colored mane in an attempt to calm the mare down. He fished a lump of sugar from his satchel and held it out to Epona, which she took eagerly.

After apologizing profusely to any who were caught in the ordeal, the two exited the city with their supplies appropriately restocked (more or less). Link surveyed the area where he'd tied Epona up anxiously. He noted that her lead had not been cut, or frayed, but was perfectly intact, thus leading the Hylian to assume someone must have untied the knots.

A minute or two of searching led to the discovery of faint footprints littering the ground around the oak. There was obviously more than one perpetrator, judging by the ways that the tracks crisscrossed and overrode each other. Link scratched the back of his neck, narrowing his eyes at the rusty red splotches on the ground.

"Did you teach those guys a lesson, girl?" Link affectionately rubbed Epona's nose, grinning at his horse's stubborn refusal to take any sort of command from anyone other than Link. It had proved a problem for stable keepers that held Epona for the nights Link spent at the Inns, but Link never doubted that one day he'd be thankful for his mare's mule-like qualities.

Link mounted Epona, still chuckling a little at the affair that had taken place, before giving a quick tug of the reins. And just like that, they were off, galloping across the narrow road through the open grassland and kicking up dust in their wake. Neither uttered a sound the rest of the way.


End file.
